Display box



Dec. 14,1937. A. E. KEPPLER DI SPLAY BOX Filed Aug. 50, 1955 WITNESS Patented Dec. 14, 1937 whit DISPLAY BOX Albert Keppler, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Brown & Bailey Company, Philadelphia, Pa., y

a corporation of Pennsylvania .application August 30,

9 Claims.

My invention relates to display boxes for packaging small articles or containers of merchandise such as candy, proprietary medicines, salted nuts and the like, and permitting them to be placed on attractive display by the retailer without removing them from the box.

To this end, the box, which is made from sheet material such as cardboard, comprises a hinged inner tray for the reception of the articles which can be moved to forwardly inclined position after the box lid is opened to thereby display them to better advantage when the box is resting on a counter or other suitable support, and to enhance the attractiveness of the display the lid may be so constructed and arranged as to provide a panel projecting upwardly to the rear of the tray when the latter is raised adapted for reception of advertising matter, the box also comprising side wings arranged to overlie and thus conceal the sides of the tray when in this position, these wings providing additional advertising space, improving the general appearance of the box as a whole and assisting in retaining the cover and tray in proper position.

Boxes comprising an inclinable tray and means designed to hold it in inclined position after it has been raised thereto have heretofore been constructed but as far as I am aware have been open to various objections such, for example, as inadequacy of the support afforded the tray, difficulty of placing the supporting means in position after the tray is raised, impairment of the appearance of the box as a Whole and the like.

Itis therefore an object of my invention to provide a box embodying an inclinable tray and novel supporting means therefor which adequately perform their intended function and are devoid of the objections inherent in the tray-supporting means hitherto proposed; which when the tray is raised come into play substantially automatically, and which form an integral part of the box and do not enhance the cost thereof or the vlabor entailed in forming it up from the flat blank from which it is made.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a box of the character aforesaid having traysupporting meansintegral with the side walls of the box and cooperative with the rear wall thereof to hold the several parts in proper relation to each other after the box has been formed up from the blank, with resulting enhancement of the rigidity of the box as a whole.

A furtherobject of the invention is the provision of a box of the character aforesaid comprising side wings so constructed and arranged that 1935, Serial No. 38,504

(Cl. 20G- 44) when the tray is disposed vwholly within thebox and the lid closed, portions thereofwill extend substantially horizontally beneath the lid and other portions overlie the upper face thereof, the

wings being adapted to move to a substantially vertical position as the lid is raised so that the first mentioned portions will overlie and enclose the sides of the tray when the latter is subsequently lifted to inclined position and the second mentioned portions will serve to assist in maintainingfthe cover in substantially vertical position.

Still other objects of the invention are the provision of a box embodying the features and improvements aforesaid which is made from a single unitary blank of such form that a large number may be cut from cardboard or any other suitable relatively stiff sheet material with a minimum of waste, and which may be formed-up from the blank without the use of adhesives, staples or other mechanical fastening means whereby the box blankslmay be shipped flat in large quantities by the manufacturer and formed-up by the purchaser at a minimum of expense and Without the use of skilled labor preparatory to packing his merchandise therein.

Additional objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or will be understood from the following description of certain embodiments thereof in which reference will be had to the accompanying drawing.

In the said drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank adapted for making one form of box embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View of another blank adapted for making a slightly modified form of box embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a third blank adapted for making still another slightly different form;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of a box formed from the blank shown in Fig. 1 with its tray in inclined or display position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary central vertical section of the box shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section corresponding to Fig. 5 showing the box formed from the blank of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a like View of a box formed from the blank of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of the box formed from the blank of Fig. 1 showing the box closed;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 8 showing the box formed from the blank of Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the box formed from the blank of Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the b-ox formed from the blank of Fig. 1 and thus looking at the box from the left in Fig. 4;

Figs. 12 and 13 are corresponding views of the boxes formed from the blanks of Figs. 2 and 3 respectively; and

Figs 14, 15, and 16 are fragmentary bottom plan views of the boxes respectively shown in the preceding three figures.

Throughout the drawing, like charactersare used to designate the same parts, and dot and dash lines are employed for indicating score lines in the blanks.

Referring now more particularly to that embodiment of the invention formed from the blank shown in Fig. l and thus to the display box shown in Figs. 4, 5, 8, 1l, and 14, the blank itself is preferably cut in one operation from a sheet of cardboard or other suitable material in the usual way and at the same time or subsequently suitably cut and scored to produce a single integral blank from which the entire box may be constructed merely by properly folding and arranging the several parts in interlocked and mutually supporting relation.

The blank B comprises a bottom panel I desirably of square or rectangular shape defined by scores 2, 3, lI, 5 respectively; adjoining the bottom panel along score 2 is a front wall panel 6 bisected by a transverse score 'l and having joined thereto at its outer edge. along a score 8, the bottom panel 9 of theinner tray. This panel is of substantially the same conformation as the bottom panel I although preferably slightly smaller so that the tray may be tted into the box withoutbulging the sides, and carries side flaps II, I2 and a rear flap I3, dened from it by suitable scores, which are adapted to be folded up at right angles to the bottom and thus cooperate with the adjacent half of the wall portion 6 when folded upon itself at score 'I to form the front, sides and back of the tray. The rear flap I3 of the tray is preferably provided with a tab I 4 which may conveniently be utilized to raise and/or lower the tray in the box.

Adjoining the side edges of bottom panel I along the scores 3, 4 respectively, are side wall panels I5, I6 carrying tabs I1, I8 attheir forward ends and locking tabs I9, 20 at their rear ends. These tabs are of greater length than the front tabs and are transversely scored at 2I, 22; adjacent their seores they are provided with inwardly directed notches 23, 24 and are. thence preferably inwardly tapered or beveled on their outer edges to their free ends.

Substantially triangular wing flaps 25, 26 transversely scored at 2l, 28 along extensions of score 5 and at 29, 30 in a direction angularly thereto, are carried by side walls I 5, I6 and adjacent portions of locking tabs I9, 20, the scores 2l, 28 dividing the wings into substantially triangular portions disposed at right angles to each other and respectively adapted to overlie the lower corners of the box lid and the portions of the sides of the tray projecting above the side walls when the box is in display position.

The rear edge of bottom panel I beyond score 5 carries the rear wall panel 3| provided with transverse slits 32, 33 adapted to receive locking tabs I9, 2Q. These slits terminate short of the upper edge of the rear wall by an amount'approximating the offsets or notches 23, 26;, to enable interlocking engagement between the tabs and the slits so the former will be held snugly in the latter and pre-vented from slipping out after they are fully inserted. A lid panel 34 is hinged to the outer edge of the rear wall along a score 35, carries a tongue 36 at its free end and is transversely scored at 3'! so that when the lid is down the tongue may be inserted in the box adjacent its front wall to retain the lid in closed position, while when inserted adjacent the rear wall of the box after the lid has been raised and folded upon itself along its transverse score 3l, the tongue assists in retaining the lid in upstanding or display position.

As will hereafter more fully appear, the free ends of locking tabs I9, 23 proj-ect within the box after the latter is set up and form the means for supporting the tray ininclined position. When the tray is in horizontal position. however, these tabs lie adjacent and substantially parallel to the rear wall 3i of the box between it and the rear wall of the tray, and means now to be described are provided for forcing the tabs from this position into tray-supporting position when it is desired they shall assume the latter. Said means in the form of the invention now being discussed comprise a spring tongue @S cut from bottom panel adjacent its rear edge and thus hinged to rear wall panel 3l on score 5. This tongue as shown may be in the form of a truncated pyramid with its longer dimension coincident with the score, and in forming-up the box, this tongue is bent inwar-dly and upwardly away from the bottom panel to lie adjacent the rear wall and between it and the inwardly projecting ends of locking tabs i9, 23 after the latter have been inserted through slits 32, 33 respectively.

In erecting the box from the blank just described, the side, front and rear wall panels are folded upwardly at right angles to bottom panel I, front wall 6 is folded upon itself along score "I and inwardly and downwardly over the inwardly folded front tabs Il, I8 carried by the side walls, and rear locking tabs I9, 2l! as heretofore mentioned are respectively inserted through slits 32, 33 in the rear wall so as to bring notches 23, 24 into cooperative relation with the upper ends of the slits; the several outer walls of the box are thus held in upstanding relation. The side and rear walls of the tray are also folded upwardly at right angles to its bottom panel S as it is carried into the box by the folding of the front wall, and when the rear locking tabs are pressed against the spring tongue 4Q and the latter pressed against the rear wall of the box, the tray may be lowered thereinto and then retains the tabs and tongue in this relation.

After the tray is filled with merchandise the lid may be brought down over the latter by folding sidewings 25, 25 inwardly upon themselves on their scores 2S, 3Q so the portions thereof in front of the lid lie flat within the box above its contents; their rear triangular extremities then overlie the outer surface of the lid at its corners adjacent score 35 about which the lid hinges and tongue 3S may now be inserted in the box adjacent its front wall and between the latter and the merchandise, thus fully enclosing the latter.

When the box is to be arranged to display its contents, the lid is raised, thereby drawing the side wings to a generally erect position with their rear ends, lying behind the lid, supporting it substantially at right angles to the bottom of the box. The lid is now folded forwardly on itself on score 3i so as to bring tongue 36 `flat against its front face in which position it is temporarily held by the operator. Conveniently by grasping tab i4, the tray may now be raised to inclined position by moving it about the hinge formed by score 'i in front wall S, and when it has been lifted sufliciently to clear locking tabs I9, 20, the latter are projected into the space beneath the tray by the spring action of tongue 40 against them; the tabs now provide adequate support for the rear part of the tray when it is released to rest upon them as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, while tongue 36 be disposed behind and kept in place by the rear wall of the tray. If it be thereafter desired to close the box, the locking tabs and spring tongue can be again pressed against the rear wall byV inserting a finger through the opening in the bottom left by tongue d, after which the tray can be lowered and the lid folded down.

With a view to enhancing the spring action of ltongue it as well as to insure its remaining in forwardly projected position after it has been released by the raising of the tray, it may be provided with an auxiliary tab or tabs as in the blanks shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the boxes respectively formed therefrom. Thus, tongue 4U' in the blank of Fig. 2 has an auxiliary tab 40a at its free end defined from the tongue by a transverse score 5t. This tab is adapted to be folded upwardly and rearwardly on the main body of the tongue when the box is set up so as to'lie between the tongue and the rear wall of the box whereby through its reaction against the latter when the tongue is released by the lifting of the tray, additional spring pressure is afforded to assist the normal tendency of the tongue to force theadjacent extremities of the locking tabs outwardly beneath the tray. As best shown in Fig. 6, the tab then assumes a position such that the tongue is prevented from moving rearwardly whereby the locking tabs are positively held in supporting position beneath the tray and cannot readily be returned to non-supporting position either through accident or design.

A slightly different construction is embodied in the blank shown in Fig. 3 in which spring tongue dit" is provided with a pair of auxiliary spring tabs liilb adjacent the outer extremities of its side edges for the performance of functions substantially similar to those of tab lilla; thus they are folded inwardly between the tongue and the rear wall when the tray is lowered and assist to force the tongue outwardly to the position of Fig. '7 when the tray is raised, thereafter serving to prevent the tongue from returning to vertical position.

Therefore, where the use to which the box is to be put is such that ability to raise and lower the tray is desirable, a tongue devoid of auxiliary spring tabs will usually be employed but where, as is generaliy Athe case, with boxes of the general character to those to which the invention relates, the Vtray is never lowered after it is once raised to display position, employment of an auxiliary tab or tabs will normally be preferred because of the increased spring action and bracing effect upon the tongue, the specific form and/or arrangement of the tabs being optional.

Equally, while the employment of notches 23, 2li is ordinarily desirable in that theytend to enhance the security of the lock between the locking tabs and'slits in the rear wall, under some circumstances they may be omitted and the edges of the locking tabs beyond their transverse scores merely slightly inwardly offset as shown in Fig. 2

at 23', 24', the tabs being tapered or beveled beyond these offsets in the ordinary Way. It is consequently merely a matter of choice which construction is employed at this point.

It will thus be appreciated that in accordance with the preference of the maker, the use to which the box is to be put, or other determining factors, any of the various constructions which I have herein described as typically illustrative of the invention may be employed, either specifically as shown or modified .by the introduction or substitution of features shown in others of them for those which theynow comprise and, moreover, that it is not my desire or intention to restrict or confine myself to those embodiments of the invention to which I have referred as changes and modifications in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts and in their mutual relationships other than as herein disclosed will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be made if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dei-ined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent ofthe United States:

l. A display box comprising a bottom, front, rear and side walls and a tray adapted to nest within the box and hinged to one of said walls for movement from horizontal to inclined position, and means carried by the walls proximate to said Wall and extending through the wall opposite thereto adapted to support the tray in moved position after it has been raised thereto.

2. A display box comprising a bottom, front, rear and side walls and a tray adapted to nestl within the box and hinged to one of said walls for movement from horizontal to inclined position, means movable from a position substantially parallel to the opposite wall to an angular position with respect thereto to support the tray in inclined position, and means hinged adjacent said rear wall for automatically moving said supporting means after the tray has been raised apredetermined distance.

3. A display box comprising a bottom, front, rear and side walls, a tray adapted to nest within the box and hinged to the front Wall, tabs integral with the side Walls and projecting through the rear wall into the box, and means carried by said wall operative to project said tabs into the space between the bottom and the tray when the latter is raised suliiciently to clear the tabs.

4. A display box formed from a unitary blank and comprising a bottom, front, rear and side Walls, a spring tongue cut from the bottom and hinged to the rear wall, a tray hinged to the front wall adapted to nest within the box, and means carried by the side walls projecting through and in locking engagement with the rear wall and into engagement with said tongue operative to support the tray in inclined relation to the bottom of the box.

5. A display box comprising a bottom, front. rear and side walls, a tray adapted to nest Within the box and hinged to the front wall for movement about a transverse axis parallel to the bottom, means carried by the side walls and extending through and interlocking with the rear wall adapted to lie adjacent said wall when the tray is lowered and to extend beneath the tray when it is raised to thereby support it in inclined position, and means operative to automatically move the supporting means beneath the tray after the tray has been raised a predetermined distance.

6. A display box comprising a bottom, front, rear and side walls, locking tabs carried by the side walls extending through and in locking engagement with the rear wall, the ends of said tabs within the box being adapted for movement from a position substantially parallel with the rear wall to a position of angularity with respect thereto, a tray adapted to nest within the box and hinged to the front wall for movement normal to the bottom, and a spring tongue hinged to the rear wall and extending between it and the locking tabs operative to force the latter from the rst to the second of said positions and thus beneath the tray after the latter is raised through a predetermined angle.

7. A display box comprising a bottom, front, rear and side walls, a lid hinged to the rear wall for movement from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, a wing carried by each side wall comprising a portion foldable beneath the lid when it is lowered and another portion overlying the outer face of the lid, said last mentioned portion operating to limit the extent to which the lid can be moved rearwardly when it is raised, and a locking tab carried by each side wall extending through the rear wall and cooperative therewith to lock the side walls thereto.

8. A display box comprising a bottom, front, rear and side walls, a lid hinged to the rear wall for movement from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, a wing carried by each side wall comprising a portion foldable beneath the lid when it is lowered and another portion overlying the outer face of the lid, said last mentioned portion operating to limit the extent to which the lid can be moved rearwardly when it is raised, a tray movable in the box from a position in which it is fully nested therein to an inclined position in which it partially extends above the side walls, and a locking tab carried by each side wall extending through and in locking engagement with the rear Wall, the foldable portions of the side wings being adpted to lie adjacent and substantially conceal the parts of the tray projecting above the side walls and the free ends of the tabs to extend beneath and support the tray when it is in its inclined position.

9. A display box comprising a bottom, front, rear and side walls, a lid hinged to the rear wall for movement from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position, a wing carried by each side wall comprising a portion foldable beneath the lid when it is lowered and another portion overlying the outer face of the lid, said last mentioned portion operating to limit the extent to which the lid can be moved rearwardly when it is raised, a tray movable in the box from a position in which it is fully nested therein to an inclined position in which it partially extends above the side walls, a locking tab carried by each side wall extending through and in locking engagement with the rear wall, the foldable portions of the side wings being adapted to lie adjacent and substantially conceal the parts of the tray projecting above the side walls and the free ends of the tabs to extend beneath and support the tray when it is in its inclined position, and means for automatically moving the tabs to tray-supporting position after the tray has been moved to a predetermined angle of inclination.

ALBERT E. KEPPLERL CERTIFGATE CORRECTION. t Patent No. 2,102,079. December lLL, 1957.

ALBERT E. KEPPIER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: VPage 5, second column, line 55, claim l, for the wordfmoved" read raised; and line 511|.,

same claim, for "raised" read moved; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same ymay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd dagT of February, A. D. 1958.

Henry Van Aredale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

